as in excellent
of the very best kind
a first-string rendition of the musical piece
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Recent Examples of first-string
With Hollins and Boutte absent and Brown still on the Eagles, Doubs, Williams, Chism and Douglas received most of the first-string work at wide receiver.
—
Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 27 May 2026
After years of learning the techniques of a long snapper, Olson earned a first-string spot at the position for Orange Lutheran and joined the Trojans in 2015 as a walk-on player.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2026
Sarkisian said the former four-star recruit from the suburbs of Mobile, Ala., is working with the first-string offense in practice and appears to be the front-runner for Manning’s top backup spot ahead of Morris, a collegiate journeyman who spent last season at Coastal Carolina.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 9 Mar. 2026
While the Steelers gave Warren a modest contract extension just before the start of the season, there really is no definitive first-string running back, which is just the way offensive coordinator Arthur Smith likes it.
—CBS News, 27 Dec. 2025
Tustin’s first-string defense was just as overwhelming, holding the Vanguards to negative-16 yards in the first half while the offense built a 48-0 lead.
—Dan Arritt, Oc Register, 18 Oct. 2025
Most importantly, many defensive special-teams rushers are first-string players, whereas the blockers tend to be second- and third-string players.
—J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
On a rest day for Bo Nix and much of the Broncos’ first-string crew, backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, and a few key depth pieces, led the Broncos to a 27-7 beatdown of the Cardinals at Empower Field on Saturday night.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2025
That is an obvious but nevertheless tempting play with Burrow and the first-string offense in action.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025
Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 27 May 2026
After years of learning the techniques of a long snapper, Olson earned a first-string spot at the position for Orange Lutheran and joined the Trojans in 2015 as a walk-on player.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2026
Sarkisian said the former four-star recruit from the suburbs of Mobile, Ala., is working with the first-string offense in practice and appears to be the front-runner for Manning’s top backup spot ahead of Morris, a collegiate journeyman who spent last season at Coastal Carolina.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 9 Mar. 2026
While the Steelers gave Warren a modest contract extension just before the start of the season, there really is no definitive first-string running back, which is just the way offensive coordinator Arthur Smith likes it.
—CBS News, 27 Dec. 2025
Tustin’s first-string defense was just as overwhelming, holding the Vanguards to negative-16 yards in the first half while the offense built a 48-0 lead.
—Dan Arritt, Oc Register, 18 Oct. 2025
Most importantly, many defensive special-teams rushers are first-string players, whereas the blockers tend to be second- and third-string players.
—J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
On a rest day for Bo Nix and much of the Broncos’ first-string crew, backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, and a few key depth pieces, led the Broncos to a 27-7 beatdown of the Cardinals at Empower Field on Saturday night.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2025
That is an obvious but nevertheless tempting play with Burrow and the first-string offense in action.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for first-string
Adjective
-
Marquinhos — Brazil/PSG The grizzled leader of PSG’s excellent defence occupies a similar role for Brazil, and his partnership with Gabriel will be the foundation for any deep World Cup run.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
Watts got another excellent chance in the waning seconds, but the Patriots defense forced the shot to go wide.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Elegant, refined, and spacious for its prime location, Portrait Firenze's 37 rooms and suites are all dressed with neutral tones, shiny surfaces, and large polished mirrors.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 June 2026
-
The Sparks have a prime opportunity to pick up some wins during a three-game road trip that begins with matchups against two of the bottom three teams in the WNBA standings.—
John Davis,
Daily News,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
That was in the month of April, and in the month of September, Nick gathered together five other terrific actors.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
-
Delane plays with terrific foot speed, loose hips and elite body control on an island.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
This has not been a stellar season for Newcastle, and, relative to the momentous collective achievements of his first full season as captain, Guimaraes and his side have not scaled the same heights.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
And the photos in that X post are pretty stellar, too.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Wilson has had his most productive Premier League season by some distance, scoring 10 goals – compared to 12 across three previous top-flight campaigns with Fulham combined — and some of them have been superb, too.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
These red carpet-worthy pieces include dramatically draping diamond necklaces, icy diamond and ruby bracelets, superb emerald and diamond jewels and celestial sapphire and diamond rings.—
Kyle Roderick,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Roberto Duran, the Central American nation’s most famous son, is one of the greatest boxers in history.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
The Lincoln home site provides another dimension to the study of the man often cited as the nation’s greatest president.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Cutting a ribbon, celebrating this wonderful binational relationship, and the wonderful Gordie Howe Bridge that is the new crossing linking Windsor and Detroit.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
-
However, while this plant is wonderful for home gardens and dinner tables, not all plants will work well as its neighbor.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Accessibility The Dominick is a dog-friendly property– where pups under 25 pounds are allowed for a lovely stay (for a $250 pet fee).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 June 2026
-
The crochet eyelet design gives this set an expensive feel, and the skirt hits at a lovely spot between midi and maxi.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“First-string.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/first-string. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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